There was a fungus among us,...which one was the fungus? So go part of the lyrics of the song recorded by Hugh Barrett and the Victors. I'll set the "record" straight: The original recording was by Terry Noland in 1958, but this page is about Hugh Barrett and the Victors. The picture above identifies each singer in the group, with more pictures to follow. Bobby Angel sang and played sax, Richard Mayer sang and sometimes played drums or bongos, Chuck baker sang and was the go-getter for the group, using his contacts and newspaper job to get the group exposure. The group was formed in 1958, based in Chicago, and as most groups do, they recorded some records and ended up branching out and doing solo work or changing members as they went along. Richard Mayer had always been interested in music. He sang in a Church choir, high school chorus, barbershop quartets - anywhere he could. He was a harmony singer, and most comfortable in that role. He met Chuck Baker who was a guitar player and lead singer extraordinaire and they added Bobby Angel. Based on some words from a pack of Viceroy cigarettes, they became the Victors. The Victors sang where they could, and enjoyed the attention, especially from the girls.

Based on the newest addition to local WLS radio, Dick Biondi, the newly formatted rock and roll station station soared in the ratings, and was fortunate to be a high power, left-on-the-dial signal blaster for the midwest and beyond. It was May 1961 and WLS changed the way Chicago listened to radio. In that same year, Biondi became enamored with Terry Noland's now 3 year old Fungus song, and decided to get a new recording together. It was based on his current saying that was tearing through Chicago, that there was A fungus among us. Enter the Victors, Hugh Barrett, Debbie and Sandy, and the musicians. They were hired to record the platter for the local Madison label. They waxed it, and the Dick Biondi promotion machine began. The record made a huge impact on the Chicago airwaves, and sold very well locally. Biondi had so much fun that he started issuing "Fungus license cards" and you could be an honorary fungus. He even had some listeners send him different species of fungus.

The Victors recorded additional songs with Hugh Barrett, and the Victors made some demos and performed some as the Trav-A-Leers. Richard Mayer recorded on the follow-up recording by Hugh Barrett/Victors for the Lucky Four label called Devil's Love, backed with Send For Me. They recorded but did not release a song called "Return Of The Fungus" backed with Lovin At The Drive-In. It apparently was not up to the standards of the group. Another demo was Laural Sue and listed the group as Chuck Baker and the Trav-A-Leers. Other Hugh Barrett recordings do not have personnel documented at this time. In September 2010, I had the chance to Interview Richard Mayer of the Victors, and you can listen HERE! A couple of clarifications on the interview: When Richard went into the bar, The girl who greeted him with a kiss said, "Come on back here with me, and I'll buy you a drink." Second, he never saw her again but heard Larry Dale on his return to the bar.

My thanks to Richard Mayer, for without his story and documentation, this page would not be possible.

If you have heard the song "Fungus Among Us", you can't help but notice that it is a real group effort. Part of that effort is supplied by Sandy and Debbie (L-R). Just them singing "Which One Is The Fungus" is enough to make you smile, and then wonder who it is! That is them in the recording studio reading their parts and practicing the song. Many of the pictures on this page were taken by Chuck Baker.